Pepper Notes and Correspondence

“Ware, Massachusetts Records, Page 45, Children of John Hamilton, Jr. and Mary his wife: Nancy Hamilton, Daughter born 7 May 1794; David Hamilton, Son born 19 May 1796” – Teresa

From Judy C. in March 2008:

“We have run across the 1820 census for Ludlow, Hampden Co., MA with Nathan Trumbull and his wife Persis ‘Pepper’. Persis is the daughter of Joseph III and one of the daughters to have been bap. 22 Apr 1781 in Brookfield. Persis is also a sister to our Thomas B Pepper who is brother to Daniel Bartlett Pepper. Persis marries Nathan Dec 26 1816 and on this 1820 census, and in this hse hld there is Nathan ae 26, 1m 16-26; Persis ae 39/40 1f 26-45; Walter Bowdoin ae 2 ,1 of 2m u/10, and I believe the 2 m u/10 could be Porter ae 8 b 11 Dec 1812 and then 1f bet 10-16. From the Trumbull researchers, Nathan had only two living children from this union and they were Walter and Marcia Ann b 1821.

Teresa and I worked hard on the time line in order to see where Esther [Pepper] and Persis [Pepper] were and their involvement in some land owned in the Ware area. Both women were in Ware during the years before and after Porter’s birth. This was the home of Joseph III and Persis ‘Bartlett’ Pepper. This family resided on Lot 65 & 66 on the 1795 Ware Map given in the “History of Ware, MA”

Teresa has located these two children list below, born in Ware to John and Mary Hamilton. Does anyone recognize this John from the other dozens of John’s who had a wife named Mary who would be bearing children in the 1790’s. Or any Hamilton’s that would have been considered of Ware during the this period of time. Thanks” – Judy C.

From Judy C. on 18 Oct 2007:

Hi Everybody, I’m not home yet, but am at least reading the emails. I have done quite a bit on the siblings of Joseph, Thomas and Porter, but by no means is that a finished project. Will update these three gen ASAP after returning home on Fri eve.

John ends up in KS., but George returns to MA with his wife Cordelia and is in Benefit, MA, according to the Worcester MA Directory for 1888-1890. I have his death place as being Warren, MA.

John’s Uncle Stephen S. Pepper b c 1816 MA. married Sarah Pratt (1st) moved his family to Coffee Co., KS c 1854/55. He had two son’s, one from Sarah, whose name is Stephen G. b c 1854 in MA and Charles G. b c 1878 KS. to Stephen’s 2nd w. Margaret Sharpless. I haven’t found either on of these boys after they reached adult hood.

Porter’s son Henry H. we believe is the Henry that dies in St Louis, MO. He is staying in the same household as Jerome Hamilton. I have followed this connection back and there may be a chart showing this connection at our web site. Henry may have remarried shortly before his death and if so only had a daughter whose name was Henrietta. He had two sons one died in infancy, but Duke was born in 1877, but Duke was probably not his Christian name. No idea as to what happened to him.

Thomas Dearth dies in Kendall Co., IL. Teresa had found where he had gone to KS/NE with John and then returned to IL and we believe lived fairly near his sister Maria “Pepper” Bartlett. She was married to Wallace William Bartlett

From Teresa R. on 18 Oct 2007:

We don’t have a birth record of any sort for Porter. We do have the baptism record for Thomas. John Prouty Pepper was born five months after the marriage of Porter and Persis. I guess I lean more towards Porter (rather than JPP), because my grandfather knew a lot about his grandfather (JPP) from his dad George and there has never been any hint that JPP wasn’t a Pepper. My grandpa is 99 (and sharp!) and (I’m almost positive) he knows nothing of any Hamilton connection.

We do see Porter and Persis living near Jerome HAMILTON and Porter’s son (Henry H. Pepper) later living with the Hamiltons in St. Louis, which leads me to believe that Porter and his children were very close to this Hamilton family in some way, maybe more than just neighbors? Maybe Porter knew about his Hamilton connection but this information didn’t pass down to John P. Pepper’s children? We seem so close and still yet so far away. – Teresa

I also found 15 Prouty families in Spencer in 1800 [US Census]. Our Porter Pepper was “of Spencer” when he married Persis Elvira Dearth in 1833, and he named his son John Prouty Pepper.- Teresa R.

From Dan Jenkins on 17 Oct 2007:

Teresa ,

Thanks for all the files. Tried to find Duke. No luck. No other census record , no WWI Draft reg.. Lots of dead end. I am digesting all the info. again. We need to find a Pepper.

Since Daniel Bartlett Pepper putative brother of Thomas Bartlett Pepper matches other Peppers , I am inclined to look at the generations of Porter and John Prouty. With their wives being most suspect . – Dan Jenkins

Teresa ,

Today I chased all the sons of Porter Pepper around the nation and came up with dead ends . John ended up at Kansas , George ended up at Fremont, Iowa and his widow Cordelia returned to Mass. with daughter Lillian Thompson, Thomas ended up in Iowa. Farthest out I got was Carlton Pepper son of Thomas who was a Lawyer at Wasco, Oregon that left only a daughter. A couple of sons of Porters sons just disappear.

What interests me is the 1860 census showing Porter and Persis at Brimfield, next to Nathan Prouty and his wife Lucy Sherman. Living with them is Jerome HAMILTON and their daughter Clarissa Jane . Jerome is the son of Asa Hamilton and Emily Bugbee and I think he came down from Addison Vt.

It is curious to see the three names , Hamilton , Pepper , Prouty all together. Private Nathan Hamilton Jr. in the Rev. War served in Capt. Porters Company ?? – Dan Jenkins